Improved mode of connecting cars to trucks



A. BRIDGES. MODE OF CONNECTING CARS TO TRUCKS.

No. 38,726. Patented June 2, 1863.

Wi'inesses.

ms onms PETERS co PHoTc uTHou wnsumswm o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED BRIDGES, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED'MODE OF CONNECTING CARS'TO TRUCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,726, dated J une 2, 1863 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALFRED BRIDGES, of Newton,'in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented and made a certain new and useful Improvement in the Mode of Connecting Cars to Trucks for Railroads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement; and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same, showing the wheels and springs on one side of the car.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

The nature of my said invention consists in a mode of hanging the car-body upon the truck by a spring connection, so that the car is free to vibrate laterally to a limited extent, as well as to spring vertically, thereby removing the sliding boxes heretofore employed, and lessening the wear and strain heretofore inseparable'from the lurching of the car; and the noise is much lessened, and the car can, in most' instances, be hung with the bottom nearer to the track than heretofore.

n the drawings, a a are the truck-wheels of any desired kind; I), the axles 0, the journalboxes, and d the truck-frame, connecting these journal-boxes and forming a truck. These parts are to be of any desired or usual construction. I have represented said truckframe as a metallic truss with bolts 1 1, holding the boxes 0, and with crossbars c from one side truss to that on the opposite side.

ff are hanging pedestals extending from the bottom of the car or platform down below the truck-frame, and from these pedestals connections pass to the truck-frame. A spring within a shackle or link might be employed between these points, in order that the yielding motion may be attained in connection with v the free lateral movement that may take place,

because the ear is suspended upon the truck by these hanging'pedestals and connections to the truck-frame- I have represented the connection between the truck-frame and pedestal f as a chain, 9, passing around the roller 2 at the lower end of the pedestal f and termihating-at the;ce'nter bolt, 3, of the rubber or other spring h, sustainedby the straps i to. the car-body; It will be now seen that the car is suspended from the truck and may move laterally or longitudinally in order to allow for any inequalities of the track producing oscillation'in the car-body, and the springs yield both with the increase of weight and in the wheels passing inequalities, so that the car will be much easier for riding in, and the runhing-gear will not wear out so quickly asnow usual, because not exposed to concussions from the car-body. By the connection of the chain or link g being made at the end of the truckframe d, the car will be much more steady, particularly with the short city or horse cars.v This arises from the fact that while the wheels remain the same distance apart, the point of bearing for the cars is nearer theirends than heretofore.

My plan of suspending the cars through the brackets or pedestals f maybe applied to the eight' -wheel cars, in which case the pedestals should come on each side of the main bearingbeam of the respective trucks, in order to allow of the trucks turning, as now usual, this hanging device being thus applied near the center of each truck instead of at the ends.'

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-- Hanging the car-body by a spring or yielding connection extending from the pedestal to the truck-frame, and acting in the manner and for the purposes specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 20th day of April, 1863.

ALFRED BRIDGES.

Witnesses CHARLES BEMIs, A. B. Roenns. 

